Tropolone Good Antioxidant No known benefits Tropolone at a glance Organic compound that can be derived from plants Has antioxidant properties Used as a preservative due to its antimicrobial abilities Pale-yellow solid in its raw form Tropolone description Tropolone is an organic compound that can be derived from plants. It does have some antioxidant properties but is of most interest to cosmetic chemists as a preservative. Studies have shown tropolone has antimicrobial abilities, specifically the ability to combat bacterial and fungal growth. In its raw form, tropolone is a pale-yellow solid. Tropolone is usually combined with more broad-spectrum preservatives such as phenoxyethanol, where the blend is used in amounts up to 1%.